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Thursday, May 5, 2016

RIDIN' TALL IN THE SADDLE: KING'S SADDLERY!

As spring and soon summer descend on the valley of the Bighorns, the town of Sheridan becomes a hot spot for cowboys and cowgirls from Alaska to Texas. What are they looking for... King’s Saddlery and King’s Ropes!

And
where do I go when the cowboy in my current work in progress needs a
top of the line saddle...well he just moseys on over to King’s Saddlery!

Born
in Douglas, Wyoming, in 1923, Don King was the son of an itinerant
ranch hand, Archie King. By the age of 14, Don learned to tool leather
as he supported himself with odd jobs at ranches and rodeos. He sold
and traded wallets, belts and other small gear. “I traded for pants,
shirts, hats, spurs, anything. Sometimes I ended up with nothing.”

King
worked on ranches throughout the West, finally settling down in
Sheridan, Wyoming in 1946. There he became an apprentice to expert
saddle maker Rudy Mudra. King assisted in the building of saddles and
created piecework for local cowboys.

After acquiring his own ranch
he committed his time to that enterprise until in 1957, when he devoted
himself full-time to saddlemaking and leather tooling. King preferred
to focus on highly ornamental trophy saddles like those given as prizes
in rodeo competitions. During this time, he developed his own style of
tooling. A style characterized by wild roses “with a distinctive shape,
as though they were viewed from a 45-degree angle.”

By 1961, when
King opened his own business on Main Street in Sheridan, he was
well-known among ranchers and rodeo stars for his impeccable
craftsmanship. This artistry and precision is best demonstrated in the
making of the saddle type he created, the Sheridan-style saddle. The
Sheridan-style saddle is “in its general form, a classic high plains
roping saddle: short, square skirts; a low cantle with a broad Cheyenne
roll…” But the most distinctive element is the wild rose (Sheridan Rose)
tooling. King also used unusually deep stamping to give “greater
three-dimensional depth to his tooling…”

Sheridan Style Saddle

His
skill earned King the PRCA World Championship Saddle contract for 6
years. Some of these saddles are displayed at the National Cowboy Hall
of Fame and PRCA Rodeo Hall of Fame. The honors King received for his
works include: Chester A. Reynolds Award from the National Cowboy Hall
of Fame, The National Heritage Fellowship for the Folk Arts from the
National Endowment for the Arts, and the Governor’s Quality Business
Award for the State of Wyoming. King was also a founding member of the
Traditional Cowboy Arts Association.

Through
the years King’s saddles have been acquired by everyone from local
Wyoming cowboys to celebrities and dignitaries such as: Queen Elizabeth,
Ronald Reagan, and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

King wasn't just satisfied with turning out the finest saddles and turned his talents to rope making. A few years ago I had the honor of interviewing Mrs. King and was given a tour of the field outside of town where ropes are still stretched in the traditional manner. Also, I was given a tour of the rope making area of the store. King created the first (and only) rope making technique and machine for manufacturing a rope for left-handed cowboys. Because of this, championship ropers turn their rigs to King's for their ropes, as well as their saddle. There's no lack of selection in colors either.

King’s Saddlery & King’s Ropes
is a must stop in Sheridan. Not only can you walk back to the rope shop
and pick out your very own custom rope, but there is a Museum off the
rope shop filled with saddles of any style along with Old West
collectibles. But beware it is extremely easy to walk in empty-handed
and walk out with empty pockets…I speak from experience! But guess where
I'll be next week...?

**Photos are mine except the one of the Sheridan style saddle it is property of www.sheridanwyoming.org**

Kirsten Lynn is a Western and Military Historian. She worked six
years with a Navy non-profit and continues to contract with the Marine
Corps History Division for certain projects. Making her home where her
roots were sewn in Wyoming, Kirsten also works as a local historian. She
loves to use the history she has learned and add it to a great love
story. She writes stories about men of uncommon valor...women with
undaunted courage...love of unwavering devotion ...and romance with
unending sizzle. When she's not writing, she finds inspiration in day
trips through the Bighorn Mountains, binge reading and watching sappy
old movies, or sappy new movies. Housework can always wait.

And don't you love the fragrance in a saddle shop? My Uncle Raymond tooled leather and worked for a saddle-maker in far West Texas. He did not make the saddle, but tooled the leather in whatever fashion the owner wanted. Later he began to make leather purses and wallets. He made a purse for my mother--a little big with a flap opening, and tooled with roses--some parts died red. It was a work of art, and she used it for years. The drawback? I was as heavy as a bucket of lead!I've never had a thing to do with horses in my life, but I admire any horse I see--just love them. And I like saddles,too. Thanks for the lesson...and a trip down memory lane.P.S. I love your new haircut.

Oh, I love the smell in a saddle shop, too, Celia. Those leather purses are beautiful, but you're correct they usually weigh as much as a saddle. :) What a treasure though for your mother to have. The talent of those who tool leather and create such beautiful art never fails to astonish. Thanks for sharing your memory, I always love hearing people's histories.

Kirsten, I so enjoyed this account of King and how he became the great saddle and rope maker. It shows such an American spirit, to come from next to nothing and build a respected empire from hard work and a vision.The pictures certainly helped to show his distinguished and exceptional work. I'm feeling like a real Easterner right now because this is the first I've ever heard of King.